What if Ineos Grenadiers returned to the top of the world peloton by recruiting Tadej Pogacar? Four years after its last coronation on the Tour de France thanks to Egan Bernal, the British team (formerly Sky) now operates in the shadow of the all-powerful Jumbo-Visma and the current team of the Slovenian champion, UAE Team Emirates . Looking for a new major leader to catch up, the team owned by businessman Jim Ratcliffe would like to acquire the double winner of the Grande Boucle (2020, 2021) according to information from GCN Racing.
Capable of winning on all terrains, especially on the classics (he won the Tour of Flanders this season), Pogacar is very popular with Ineos, who has already contacted his agent. “Of course they are interested if he is not under contract, because Ineos’ objective is to be one of the best teams in the world,” confirmed Alex Carera. If you want to be the best, you need the best riders. If they are interested in Tadej, they must first reach an agreement with UAE. Over the past few months, I can confirm that Ineos asked me whether Tadej was free or not. But I told them he was under contract.”
Linked to UAE until 2027, the 25-year-old rider will be difficult to dislodge for the British team. In order to support Carlos Rodriguez (5th in the last Tour) and Thomas Pidcock, she would also target two other stars, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and the Belgian Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), whose respective teams are currently discussing of a possible merger.